They may not be quite as well known as some of the other death metal bands to hail from Ireland, but Vircolac has arguably been one of the most interesting to follow for those that gravitate towards an old-school and murkier sound. Over the past decade the band has released material that spent equal time crushing you with aggressive riffing and slowing things down to establish a murkier sound, as if what you were hearing was emerging from a nearby crypt. On their latest full-length Veneration Vircolac has continued this approach but woven hints of other genre elements into their sound, which gives the material many exciting twists and turns. It feels just a bit too brief at thirty-six minutes in length, but the sheer number of riffs and stand-out moments ensures you’ll want to dive right back into this one after the first time through.
Vircolac kept Veneration under wraps for most of its pre-release period, revealing only artwork and track listing and opting to withhold the music until the album released. Now that I’ve spent a good deal of time with the material this makes sense, as while there are passages that stand out on their own the album flows in a way that makes it seamless from beginning to end. The shorter length does help with this, as you’ll find yourself drawn in by the many twists and turns and before you know it you’ve looped back around to the beginning. It’s clear right from the start that Veneration is just as focused on atmosphere as it is denser and aggressive riffing, as opener “The Lament (I Am Calling You)” uses sparse instrumentation and singing that has more of a darker folk feel to it. It’s a very different way to open a death metal record, but the minimalist nature makes the sheer wall of guitar, bass, and drums that kick off the title track hit really hard. Once you get into the meat of the material you’ll find that Vircolac crams a lot of riffs into a short period of time, but the transitions are fluid and the faster blasting and slower lurches fit together well. This is still death metal at its core, but there are a lot of other elements at work throughout Veneration that incorporate influence from other metal styles without pivoting completely over to another genre. Whether it’s the first wave black metal sounding riffs on the title track, the clean doom sounding leads on “Our Burden of Stone on Bone”, or some of the NWOBHM riffs and solos that pop up when you least expect them, there’s a lot of variety to the material that elevates Vircolac above the average old-school death metal band. The production also enhances this, as it brings out the murky and uglier textures of the harsher riffs while giving the melodies space to breathe. The instrumentation is captivating enough that it almost feels too short, as I found myself wanting at least one more track, but what’s here has kept me coming back again and again.
As mentioned earlier, Veneration surprises early on with its decision to open with softer folk sounding singing courtesy of guest vocalist Sarah McQuillan. It establishes a very different tone and a mysterious feel to the material, and even when Laoghaire’s raspier screams amp up the intensity this feel is maintained. The screams remind me quite a bit of the earlier death/thrash bands from different parts of the world, and Laoghaire enunciates each verse so that it’s a bit easier to make out than is typical for the genre. His overall approach gives off a bit more of a storytelling/narrative feel, which fits well with the types of twists and turns the songs offer. There’s also subtle variation to the pitches throughout Veneration that stand out, which gives listeners plenty of additional details to dig into. Closer “She is Calling Me (I. War II. Death III. Redemption)” brings back Sarah McQuillan alongside some additional guests for a much harsher shriek/wail that is downright terrifying, and this ensures the intensity of the vocal work grabs you from start to finish.
Vircolac hasn’t done a complete pivot similar to bands like Tribulation, but they’ve seamlessly incorporated other elements into their foundation that makes their death metal a bit more intricate and adventurous than your standard meat and potatoes variety. The twisting and turning nature of the riffs sometimes reminds me of Negative Plane’s last album but taken through a death metal context, and that makes Veneration an album that feels tailor made for my personal tastes. It could stand to be a song longer, but there’s still plenty here that will draw listeners back for another descent into this ancient and chaotic sounding material. Vircolac sometimes makes us wait quite a bit between releases, but it’s clear the time is being well spent. Veneration is available from Dark Descent Records and Sepulchral Voice Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg